Album Cover

For those who don't know, Scarecrow and Tinman (S&T) was a Christian band. Their members were made up of protestants and God converted them to the Catholic faith. The lead vocalist, Chris Padgett, has put (S&T) on the back burner while he is doing ministry speaking and writing. The remaining guys started up a new band call Cheer Up Charlie. This is not some left over, S & T wannabe band either. These guys can stand on there own. These guys are pushing Catholic music to the edge with heavy guitars and their fast pace rhythmic-style vocals. Their sound is alternative rock.

The Band.

Here's a sample of some of their songs from their recent self-titled album:

Only One

This song starts off with the voice of a child, trying to sing a song about “listening to God” with his guitar. He forgets the words in the middle of the song. The song quickly transitions to the Cheer Up Charlie's fast grinding guitars and upbeat lyrics. This song has very rhythmic vocals for the verses and a very catchy chorus. The lyrics describe our how we get caught up in our day to day routine, but in the mists of our struggles and our pride Jesus Christ is the only one.

The chorus is

“And still we stand so proud wearing a dirty crown
And when the day is done, there is only one there is only one
He is the great I am, he is the Son of man who died and rose again
Huh--- ya like dat“

We Cry Out

This is another one of those songs that gets stuck in your head and you can't get rid of it. This song is on the edgier side of rock. The lyrics are about living by faith and how we as Christians must alway cry out to Christ for his grace. The chorus goes:

We cry out to the Son again
We cry out to be whole again
We cry out for your grace and love again
We cry out

Rockstar
This is where they show their light-hearted side. The song is about how they want to be a rock star and get on MTV. The music is a playful style, featuring a piano and the sound of tap dancing in the background.

Hidden track.

You'll have to get the album to find out what their hidden track is about, but here's a hint: it involves a contest.

These guys are really good. I just hope they can find someone with some marketing skill to really take them places. If they could get their songs played in a bunch of radio stations, they could sell a lot of albums. You can find more about Cheer Up Charlie on their website: cheerupcharlie.com . You can also listen to an interview with Brad DeRosia at the Catholic Rockers pod cast.